Grace Like Rain

 

Grace Like Rain

 

I'm sure you've all heard Amazing Grace before, but have you heard Todd Agnew's version called "Grace Like Rain"?  It's one of my husband's favorite worship songs, and I can understand why.  In the song, Todd Agnew alternates between lyrics from "Amazing Grace" and his chorus:

And Hallelujah, grace like rain
Falls down on me
And Hallelujah, all my stains
Are washed away, they're washed away

I just can't explain how the blend of these new and old lyrics with Todd Agnew's gritty voice just form this incredible song, so you must listen to it if you have never heard it! 

So what is grace exactly?  Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."  Grace is a gift from God; it is His unmerited and unconditional love and favor towards us.  When we mess up, when we don't feel like we could be loved or worthy, God still rains His grace down on us.  

Paul goes on to state in Ephesians 2:9, "not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  So God's grace isn't any result of my own actions.  And I'm so glad about that, because if I'm going to be honest, sometimes my actions should not warrant God's grace.  But that's the beauty of His grace is that even when I shouldn't deserve it, I still receive it.  So when I mess up (which let's be honest is a dozen plus times in a day, and half the meaning behind my blog's name), God still showers me with his grace.

And Hallelujah, I'm so blessed that God's grace rains down over me like rain!

Genesis

Genesis: the origin or coming into being of something

 

I want to take a moment today to talk about how I started my Illustrated Faith journey.  It goes back to over a year ago when my husband and I finally found a new church tome.  After not really going to church for over a year and losing my Grandfather, I was really wanting to find a church home to get reconnected with God and other believers.

 

After a bit of searching, we finally found a church in our hometown.  We attended semi-regularly for a few months and then when I started going through some tough times at work, I dug deeper into the church and we became regular Sunday attenders and then partners.  Our church is so awesome and between our pastors and members, they certainly push you to grow in your walk with Christ. 

 

Over the next few months, I grew to read the Bible daily, join a small group and start a discipleship program with an amazing lady.  I stumbled across Illustrated Faith in Instagram in early March.  I feel in love with the beautiful lettering, illustrations and art that these women were creating in their Bibles.  I let a lot of excuses keep me from getting started for a while (time, supplies, confidence, etc.).  After weeks of God working on me to help me realize that I could (HAD TO) do this, I finally bought my journaling Bible the day before Easter.  I created 2 pages that weekend and I was hooked! 

 

I really enjoyed looking for my next page to journal and gathering supplies, but I still felt like I was lacking time and confidence in my creative process.  Once summer break started, I had tons of time on my hands to play and create in my sketchbook.  I began with a lot of copying, practicing lettering, and just playing with my supplies.  For a while, I wondered if I could ever come up with my "own" designs and ideas.  Then finally one day it just happened.  I saw inspiration in the most unexpected places and found that I could just open my sketchbook and start creating without browsing through Instagram or Pinterest beforehand.

 

 

So my advice to someone thinking about taking this journey (or just getting started) is to begin!  Yes, you will make some "ugly" pages in the beginning and you will make mistakes with your supplies, but then you will hit your creative stride or find your style and it is so much fun to glorify God with your artistic talents.

 

With the next school year getting ready to start back up, I'm working on figuring out how to set aside my Bible journaling time.  I don't want to get too busy and not have time to create.  I'm hoping that with what I learned this summer and my awesome Illustrated Faith Genesis kit, I can still continue to create beautiful pages and worship God even during my busy, messy, crazy school year!